1. Technical Field
The present invention pertains to the field of hardware tools. More particularly, the present invention pertains to shims.
2. Discussion of Related Art
A shim is a thin, and often tapered or wedged, piece of material. It is used to fill small gaps or spaces between objects. Shims are typically used in order to support, adjust for better fit, or provide a level surface. Shims may also be used as spacers to fill gaps between parts subject to wear. Many materials are suitable shim stock, or base material, depending on the context: wood, stone, plastic, metal, or even paper (e.g., when used under a table leg to level the table surface). High quality shim stock can be bought commercially, for example as laminated shims, but shims are often created ad hoc from whatever material is immediately available.
Attachable shims are known in the art. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,923,235 (“Shim assembly for a pole face of a magnet”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,923,465 (“Heel shim and lifter for ski mountaineering”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,850,409 (“Shim assembly for hardware module”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,650,037 (“Shock absorbing stud shim for a CRT”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,254,140 (“Segmented flange including a shim”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,079,753 (“Segmented flange including a shim”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,755,464 (“Segmented flange structure including a shim”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,418,462 (“Method for determining shim placement on tubular magnet”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,320,200 (“Friction pad with shim for use in disc brake”); U.S. Pat. No. 5,160,243 (“Turbine blade wear protection system with multilayer shim”).
It is also known in the art for a shim to have a break line, as in U.S. Pat. No. 7,108,901 (“Shim”). However, such a break line is only known for the purpose of breaking or snapping off material at a desired length of the shim.
Shims, which are sometimes referred to as wedges and tapered work-pieces, can be used in the construction of homes, buildings, furniture and the like, to raise, align, square up and fill gaps of windows, doors and other building components. Traditionally, shims have been formed out of wood and often simply crafted out of scrap pieces of wood. Other attempts at providing a supply of shims include the manufacture of synthetic shims. Such shims tend to be formed primarily from plastic, which is usually more pliable than wood and, thus, more difficult to break or snap off at a desired length. Thus, shims with break lines are uncommon, and not much attention has been paid to them. However, as discussed in the U.S. Pat. No. 7,108,901 (“Shim”), various materials or types of plastic can now be used in a plastic shim in order to enhance its breakability, for example a mixture of plastics and cellulose fiber.
Unfortunately, currently available plastic shims are difficult to attach to other objects. Furthermore, although wood shims could be cut in order to form smaller shims, existing plastic shims are difficult to cut and therefore offer limited options to the consumer, especially if a consumer is in need of attachable shims.